Livermore girl, 7, killed in freeway crash

TRAFFIC

A 7-year-old girl was killed Friday when she was thrown from a minivan after it crashed into a big-rig truck in Livermore, the California Highway Patrol said.

Hannah Bates of Livermore was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the minivan and two other children in the vehicle suffered minor to moderate injuries, said CHP Officer Steve Creel. He did not know whether the female driver and the other children were related to Hannah.

The minivan was in the far left lane of westbound Interstate 580 near Portola Avenue when the crash happened in the rain at 8:30 a.m., the CHP said.

The minivan was going about 65 mph when the driver lost control and hit the center guardrail, Creel said. The vehicle then veered right and crossed two lanes before it slammed into the truck, which was traveling about 55 mph in the far right lane, Creel said.

The truck was hauling two trailers full of grapes. The van hit the second trailer, which overturned and spilled grapes over the freeway. After hitting the trailer, the minivan veered left and overturned before landing upright in the far two left lanes, Creel said.

The van's sliding doors flew open during the crash, and Hannah was thrown from the vehicle. It was unclear whether she had been wearing a seat belt, Creel said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. The weather may have played a role, and investigators also are looking at the two rear tires of the minivan, which were severely worn, Creel said.